Rich Rodriguez Not Panicking Over WVU Players in Transfer Portal: ‘We’ll Replace Them’

Aside from the emotions about his return, Rich Rodriguez knows his second tenure at WVU will be very different from his first in many ways, most notably because the landscape of college football is completely different today than it was 17 years ago when he left.

Rodriguez is even already experiencing the new landscape as several key West Virginia players have decided to enter the transfer portal and see if an opportunity elsewhere could be better for them. But Rodriguez knew an exodus, even of players he wanted to keep, was possible.

The now 61-year-old Rodriguez offered his thoughts about dealing with the transfer portal and his WVU roster while appearing on the West Virginia MetroNews Talkline with Hoppy Kercheval Friday morning.

“There are a lot of good players out there. I don’t want to lose any of them, but I’m not going to panic about it. We’ll replace them. I’m not worried about it,” explained Rodriguez.

Rodriguez also said he’s met with the current players to get to know them and share his thoughts about where they may fit into his plans. However, he made it very clear he understands his style of coaching and West Virginia may not be right for everyone.

Rodriguez knows some players may want to test their value on the open market and others may hope to find more playing time at another program. Rodriguez knows that’s just part of coaching college football today, and while he won’t hold that against anyone, he also won’t beg anyone to stay and remain a Mountaineer.

Rodriguez, a West Virginia native, currently holds a 190-128-2 overall coaching record. He experienced most of his success while leading the Mountaineers from 2001-2007. At WVU, Rodriguez won four Big East titles and was named conference Coach of the Year twice. He added a third Coach of the Year honor in the Pac-12 in 2014 with Arizona.

But no matter how many games he won and trophies he lifted, Rodriguez’s first WVU tenure was tainted by the way he left – bolting for Michigan following the infamous 13-9 loss to Pitt, a defeat that cost the Mountaineers a trip the BCS National Championship Game.

Asti: Winning Only Option for Rich Rodriguez in Second WVU Tenure

After his departure from WVU, Rodriguez spent three lackluster years at Michigan and six seasons with Arizona, highlighted by winning 10 games and a trip to the Fiesta Bowl in 2014. Most recently, he led Jacksonville State through a successful transition from FCS to FBS and won the 2024 Conference USA title before leaving for West Virginia.

For a related story, WVU offensive lineman Brandon Yates defended his teammates in the transfer portal and tried to talk sense into fans.